The developement of national markets and the cloth trade

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  • Created on: 02-06-20 10:49
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  • The developement of national markets and the cloth trade
    • National markets
      • In 1625 Britain had not established a single national economy.
        • Regional economic activity was centred around market towns.
          • This was due to difficulties with communication, alongside the absence of strong commerial enterprises.
        • Industrial activity was also regional, linked to areas where raw materials were easily accessible.
          • Manufacturing was not done in factories, but in homes or outhouse buildings in rural areas.
      • It was only gradually between 1625-88 that a broader, more national economy and market emerged.
        • By 1688, the developement had been facilitated by the follwing:
          • Better communication
            • The navigability of many rivers was improved, allowing for the quicker movement of goods.
          • Specialisation
            • As communication improved many regions developed local specialties.
              • Eg, Wiltshire because a centre for cheese making, its products being sold thorughout Britain.
          • Finance
            • As a national economy began to take shape, a more sophisticated financial structure began to emerge.
              • The developement of banks and other financial institutions.
          • Urban developement
            • In 1625, goods could only be bought from the markets in different towns.
              • By 1688, shops had been established throughout the country, selling a wide range of goods to supply a growing comsumer market.
      • However, the creation of a national market and a unified economy was essentially limited to England and Wales.
        • Scotland didn't gain a share in the new markets.
          • Its agricultural land was not as productive as Englands, and the transport links between E+S were not well developed.
        • Additionally, most English politicians showed no interest in Ireland at all.
          • Ireland had a sepearate culture based on language and religion.
            • Thus, the country was treated more as a colonial possession than as an equal with England and Scotland.
    • The cloth trade
      • Textiles was by far the largest manufacturing concern.
        • It employed around 200,000 workers..
        • One reason for it being the largest was that its sequence of manufacturing was split up into separate processes.
          • This led to a larger divison of labour, which lowered costs and raised productivity.
          • This also fitted family structure, with all family members having different roles..
      • Throughout this period the textile industry spread outside the initial centres of Norwhichand Colhester, becoming established in Manchester and the north-west of England.
    • The changing 'new draperies' and the impact of Protestant refugees
      • The staple of the English textile trade before the mid-16th century was woollen broadcloth, known as the 'old draperies'
        • The 'new draperies' was introduced in the 1560s by Ducth immigrants.
          • They were lighter than the old wool-based materials.
      • The ''new draperies' revived the English textile market.
        • Norwich and Colchester had strong trading links with the Netherlands.
          • Dutch trade helped the to establish East Anglia as a major centre for the new draperies.
      • Louis XIV revoked the protection given to Protestants in France under the Edict of Nantes.
        • By doing this, he signalled tat he would start to persecute French Protestants.
        • From the 1650s, a growing number of French and Ducth Protestants migrated to England to avoid religious persection.
          • These skilled workers helped in the developement of lighter fabrics, including silk, which was blended with English wool.
          • The introduction of the smaller Dutch loom also helped develope the new draperies.
            • This allowed the production of more delicate items, precisely at the time when Italian and French fashions that were more intricate were becoming more popular.

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